


A Box of Chocolate

by Katrina_Leann



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pregnancy, Teeny bit of angst, just a little
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-09-07 11:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8799529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katrina_Leann/pseuds/Katrina_Leann
Summary: Rumple tries to surprise Belle with chocolate, the results? Not exactly what he expected...





	1. Chapter 1

Rumple let out the deep breath he'd been holding, raising his hands in surrender. Or supplication.

To be entirely honest, he wasn't sure which at this point.

"I understand how you feel, sweetheart," he started, pausing when Belle slowly lifted a single eyebrow. "But I don't think that my intentions were as malicious as you believe."

Wrong thing to say.

Belle's shoulders dropped back as she stood up straighter, blue eyes narrowing into icy slits. "Not as malicious as I believe?!" She whipped around and grabbed the offending item off the kitchen table. "Then explain this!"

Checking his impatience, Rumple responded, "A box of chocolate. I'm sorry, love. I don't understand."

" _Dark_ chocolate," Belle corrected, tossing the box back onto the table with a disgusted grunt.

"You always get dark chocolate, Belle," Rumple snapped. "It's your favorite!"

"Yeah well I wanted milk chocolate today!" She yelled back.

_Breathe in...and out. In...and out._

"I'm sorry, my love. I just... don't understand." Rumple stated simply, eyeing the box with vaguely concealed hatred.

All he'd wanted to do was surprise his wife with a box of chocolate. That's it.

Quite suddenly, her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled. "You think I'm fat."

" _What_?!"

Belle sniffled and let out a shaky breath. "You think I'm fat. So you got me dark chocolate."

"I..." Rumple heard his voice trail off into nothing as he stared - _gawked_ , really - at Belle in pure disbelief. "That's not...you always get dark chocolate. I just..."

If she heard a word he'd said, she didn't show it. Instead, she gave him one last sad glance before retreating upstairs and into their bedroom, the door slamming behind her.

Slowly, as if in a daze, Rumple walked over to the counter and grabbed his keys. Belle wanted milk chocolate?

Fine. He'd buy every type of milk chocolate the store had.

~X~

"What do you mean you're out?" Rumple growled.

Tom Clark shook with fear, "D-David came by today and said that it was he and S-Snow's anniversary-"

"Let me guess, she's a fan of milk chocolate?" Rumple snarled, his jaw locked.

Tom Clark gave a miserable nod. "The next shipment should be here by the end of the w-week. I could save you a box?" At that Rumple let out a humorless laugh.

"O-Or the entire shipment. No problem." Clark hastily corrected.

"Don't bother." Rumple stated, waving his hand in dismissal as he strode towards the store doors.

Boston it was, then.

~X~

Six hours and a very agitated Dark One later, Rumple pulled back into his driveway with a weary huff, rubbing at his eyes.

In the passenger seat sat two boxes of the finest milk chocolate he could find and a bouquet of roses.

With a deep sigh Rumple grabbed his offerings and opened up the door. This was either going to make things better or worse.

However, when he finally pushed open the front door, he hadn't expected the sight that greeted him.

Belle was seated on the couch, wrapped around a pillow sobbing.

"Belle? Sweetheart?!" Chocolates and flowers momentarily forgotten he dropped the boxes and roses, rushing to her side. At the sound of his voice her crying stopped, watery blue eyes looking up at him.

"Oh Rumple!" And then her lips were on his as she pulled him closer, seemingly trying to mold their bodies together. "You came back. You're still here."

She kept babbling and once Rumple's brain cleared from the confusion of seeing her crying and the impromptu kiss, he frowned. "Of course I came back, I live here." With a little smile her brushed the loose hair behind her ear, pressing a soft kiss to her overly warm cheek. "Besides...you're here."

Belle gave a happy hum and leaned closer towards him, nuzzling her face into his neck. "I'm sorry about this morning. I don't know what came over me."

Moving slowly, Rumple switched positions, ending up sitting with Belle cradled against his chest. "You don't need to apologize."

"Yeah, I do. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me. After I stormed off and went to our room, I realized that. It was such a stupid little thing, you were just being sweet. And then I came downstairs to apologize and you were gone." Belle explained, shifting to get more comfortable.

"I...drove up to Boston..."

At that she jumped in surprise, lifting her head to look at him in bewilderment. "Need that much space?" Her voice seemed a little too high to be considered teasing, smile wobbling.

Rumple shook his head and rose, much to Belle's complaint. After picking up the discarded boxes of chocolate and roses, he returned to her side with a slight smile. "Clark was out of milk chocolate."

Belle took the boxes with a curiously detached expression, turning the box over in her hands, the other resting by her thigh. "You got me milk chocolate. Because I..."

Feeling suddenly unsure, Rumple swallowed harshly before he nodded. "I just thought that-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off as Belle launched herself into his arms, kissing him hard.

A groan rumbled through him as Belle straddled his lap, tilting her head just a bit to kiss him deeper.

"You," she panted, "spoil me."

Pressing one last kiss to her lips, Rumple pulled back with a laugh. "You deserve it."

Her eyes darkened at that and she gave a snort, shaking her head. "Hardly. I'm not perfect. Nowhere near it, actually." Something had come over her, something mean and angry behind her gaze.

Something he was used to seeing every time he looked in a mirror. Self hatred. Or maybe not hatred, maybe self loathing. Her eyes were still soft, but there was something sharper there.

Whatever it was, Rumple knew it wasn't _good_.

"Hey," he protested playfully, nudging her nose with his. "Come back."

Belle mustered a weak smile for him, the light in her eyes significantly dimmer. "Sorry. Didn't mean to go all bleak."

Rumple kissed her again and again, short little pecks until he felt her lips curve up into a small smile. Small, but real.

He decided it counted.

"You're right, you're not perfect," and before her small smile could drop back into a grimace, Rumple kissed her forehead. "No one is. But you're perfect for me. We're - messy, but we're us. And without you, there truly is nothing."

Her face cleared and Rumple sighed in relief.

Belle tilted her head to the side and bit her lip, regarding him curiously. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Rumple barked out a laugh, a laugh that quickly turned into a moan as Belle once again straddled his lap and pressed a series of soft kisses up the line of his neck, her tongue flicking out over his earlobe.

"Because I do," leaning forward she pressed her forehead to his, holding eye contact. They stayed that way as Belle nuzzled his nose, repeating his gesture from earlier. "I love you."

"Aye," Rumple agreed, pulling her flush against him. "I love you too."

Belle giggled and Rumple felt victorious.

That sound was so much better than the sound of her crying.

But then Belle maneuvered herself until she was pinned under him, winding her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her waiting lips.

And Rumple lost the ability to think.


	2. Corn dogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't the pregnancy cravings themselves that confused him, it was what she craved.

"This is _so_ good, Rumple." Belle wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin and sighed as she stretched. The full plate of corn dogs sat on her lap, warming her legs with their heat.

Beside her Rumple smiled, but she could see the tightness around his eyes and the way his gaze flickered between her and the plate on her crossed legs. Hoping her would tell her himself, Belle turned to face him and ran her fingers through his hair.

Brown eyes fluttered as he leaned into the caress, Rumple sighing in pleasure. Then he saw her expectant look. 

His gaze turned sheepish. "Sorry, sweetheart. It's just..." his face scrunched up in an adorable look of confusion that Belle had never seen on him before, his genuine bewilderment making her giggle. "What _are_ those, Belle?"

Biting her lip to contain her smile, Belle very deliberately moved the plate from her lap, wiping the remaining crumbs from her fingers. "It's called a corn dog, Rumple. And they're delicious."

His nose wrinkled in a way that meant he was trying very hard not to argue with her. "Yes dear. As evidenced by the fact that you sent me to fetch them for you at one in the morning."

Belle pouted. "It's the pregnancy cravings, Rumple! It's not my fault that our baby wanted corn dogs this morning. I can hardly control that! My book says-" the sudden feeling of his lips on her derailed Belle's train of thought. Rumple pulled back after a second.

Experimentally, he ran his tongue quickly over his lips, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "It tastes a little... _buttery_?"

Belle nodded and took a corn dog from the plate, offering it to him. Rumple frowned.

"Come on," she cajoled, rubbing her nose against his cheek. "Just try it."

She felt the way his tense posture relaxed as he pushed her away from him. He was still frowning, but his gaze was once again swinging between her and the corn dogs.

Belle held the corn dog right to his lips. "Just a bite, Rumple. If you don't like it I'll never ask you to try it again." His eyes lost some of their hesitance and Belle was careful to hold his gaze, sensing her victory as he nodded reluctantly.

He opened his mouth slowly and took a small bit, chewing almost thoughtfully. Belle waited.

"Well...?"

Rumple tilted his head and shrugged a little, looking at the corn dog. "It's not...bad." His tongue ran over his lips again, this time slower. "I still taste butter."

Belle took a bite herself and sighed in pleasure. Not bad? They were just about the best thing Belle had ever tasted!

As if he could read her mind, Rumple shook his head fondly and moved the plate from the bed, taking another bite from the corn dog that they were apparently sharing.

"You like it," Belle accused gently, tapping his nose when he smiled at her. "Admit it, Rumple."

"I'll admit that I like sharing food with my wife."

His lips once again covered hers and Belle pulled away only to offer him the last bit of corn dog, then promptly kissed the taste off his lips.

"You're right," Rumple admitted with a deep laugh. "I like corn dogs." Belle snuggled closer and burrowed into his warmth, filling her senses with the familiar scent of him and something just a bit more savory.

"So what can get more tomorrow?" She asked sleepily. Rumple chuckled.

"Sweetheart, we can get corn dogs anytime you'd like."


End file.
